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Rockies balk home winning run, fall to Braves

Sep 10, 2008 - 3:36 AM By Phil Foley PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- With their season hopelessly lost, the Atlanta Braves played spoiler down the stretch.

Kelly Johnson scored the game-winning run on a balk in the 10th inning and Casey Kotchman drove in two runs to lead the Braves to a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann plated a run each for Atlanta, which has won 13 of its last 16 games against Colorado at Turner Field.

"We'll take anything," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of the victory. "A walk-off balk or anything."

Johnson began the rally with a two-out single to left-center field off Taylor Buchholz (6-6) and advanced to third on a double by Josh Anderson.

On the next pitch, Buchholz stepped awkwardly off the rubber while attempting to grip a curveball.?? Plate umpire Wally Bell signaled a balk, handing the Braves the win.

"I took the sign, pretty much just like I've done 1,000 times this year," Buchholz said. "Got a curveball. Got the grip on my and froze out there. (It's the) stupidest thing I've ever done pretty much. I would like to make them beat me with a pitch at least."

Atlanta, which has been prone to losing all sorts of ways in extra innings this season, finally found an unorthodox way to win for just the third time in 13 games in the bonus format this season.

"I've never seen (a game won by a balk)," Johnson said. "I didn't think we even lost that way this year. It's a one-run win. Add it to the one-run win column. It's nice."

Cox also could not remember the last time he had seen a game end on a balk.

"No," Cox bluntly said when asked the query. "But I can't remember the last time we won an extra-inning game, either."

Julian Tavarez (1-1) was the beneficiary of the Braves' balk-off win, hurling a perfect 10th to record his first win of the season.

Mike Gonzalez blew his first save opportunity in more than four years in the ninth.?? The lefthander had his league-best consecutive games saved streak snapped at 39 after giving up a solo shot to Garrett Atkins to knot the game at 4-4.

"It was fun while it lasted," Gonzalez said of the streak, which dated back to June 25, 2004. "Now, I have to start another streak."

Atlanta had a chance to win the game in regulation in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases with one out.?? But Kotchman was robbed of the game-winning hit thanks to a sensational diving stop by shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who turned two to end the frame.

"Off the bat it looked like a hit," Atkins said. "He made a great play. It was a nice play. That's just what we expect him to do."

Colorado (67-78), which lost three straight for the first time since August 9-12, fell 6 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (73-71) in the woeful National League West Division.?? Los Angeles played the San Diego Padres later Tuesday.

"It's one of those things where you lose a game, you want to get beat by a hit or a home run," Tulowitzki said. "When it's a mental mistake, it's tough to take. I'm sure (Buchholz) will learn from it, and it will not happen again."

The defending NL champion Rockies entered Atlanta looking to repeat the magical end to their 2007 campaign.?? The club trailed by as many as 6 1/2 in September of last season before reeling off wins in 13 of its last 14 games.

Colorado went on to defeat the Padres in a one-game playoff and swept its way to the World Series before the Boston Red Sox returned the favor to win the Fall Classic.

Any attempt of another Rockies miracle comeback must wait another day.

Colorado, which hit just .206 over its last 10 games, once again struggled at the plate in this one.?? The Rockies were held to just six hits, including homers by Brad Hawpe and Chris Iannetta off Atlanta starter Jorge Campillo, en route losing for the seventh time in 11 games.

"Every loss hurts," Atkins said. "But I don't think anybody is going to take this one harder than anything else."

Meanwhile, Atlanta plated three quick runs off of Colorado starter Aaron Cook on an RBI single by McCann and a two-run double by Kotchman.?? Kotchman also helped the Braves plate their fourth run on a two-base hit by Francoeur.

Cook allowed four runs and six hits while walking two and striking out two for the Rockies.?? He failed in his bid to record his franchise record-tying 17th win.

Campillo allowed three runs and five hits over 6 1/3 frames for the Braves (63-82), who were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention after the New York Mets (81-64) defeated the Washington Nationals.